During a full day in Bologna, Francis spent an hour meeting hundreds of migrants personally while posing with them for selfies under light drizzle. Later, the pontiff hosted a luncheon for asylum-seekers and prisoners in the St. Petronius basilica. He even donned a yellow plastic ID bracelet used by asylum-seekers to express his solidarity with them.

“Do you know what you are? You are ‘warriors of hope’!” Francis exclaimed during his address to the many migrants present, urging them not to give in to disappointment or despair.

In his address, the Pope also offered his explanation of why he believes some people in Europe oppose mass migration, building on earlier statements in which he suggested that xenophobia was fueling people’s concerns.